Month: October 2006

AZNAVOUR LANCE PAR UN CONCERT GEANT A EREVAN L’ANNEE DE L’ARMENIE EN FRANCE

Agence France Presse
30 septembre 2006 samedi

Charles Aznavour a lance samedi soir "l’annee de l’Armenie en France"
par un concert geant sur une place de Erevan, auquel a assiste le
president francais Jacques Chirac en visite d’Etat dans ce pays.

Nana Mouskouri, Line Renaud, Danny Brillant, Isabelle Boulay,
Helène Segara et Michel Legrand – ces deux derniers etant d’origine
armenienne – ont precede sur la scène Charles Aznavour, veritable
star dans son pays.

De "La bohème" a "Emmenez moi" ou encore "J’me voyais deja", celui-ci
s’est lance sur la "place de la Republique" durant plus d’une heure
dans un tour de chant durant lequel il a interprete ses principaux
succès devant plusieurs dizaines de milliers d’Armeniens eblouis,
hurlant de joie dès le debut de chacun des tubes du chanteur de 82 ans.

Il a dechaîne regulièrement le public en lui parlant en armenien,
reconnaissant qu’il n’utilise jamais cette langue sur scène, "mais
ca va peut-etre changer", a-t-il lance.

"Merci de nous avoir donne Charles Aznavour, ce soir nous vous le
pretons", a declare Line Renaud a la foule en le presentant aux côtes
de Jean-Claude Brialy, l’animateur de la soiree.

M. Chirac et son epouse Bernadette, ainsi que les quatre ministres
qui l’accompagnaient, l’ancien ministre d’origine armenienne Patrick
Devedjian, plusieurs deputes et une dizaine d’hommes d’affaires
d’origine egalement armenienne, dont Alain Manoukian (textile) et
Amen Petrossian (caviar), ont assiste a ce concert, clos par une
chorale d’enfants d’Erevan chantant un "formi-formidable" revisite.

Ce concert ouvre l’annee de l’Armenie en France, "Armenie mon amie",
qui presentera jusqu’au 14 juillet prochain environ 400 manifestations
culturelles armeniennes dans une centaine de sites en France.

Monument de la culture francaise, meme s’il n’aime pas ce qualificatif,
Charles Aznavour, 82 ans, est aussi l’une des plus celèbres vedettes
internationales originaires d’Armenie, le pays de ses parents, avec
lequel il a entretenu des liens etroits tout au long de sa vie.

Le chanteur, dont le vrai nom est Aznavourian, fonde en decembre 1988
après le tremblement de terre qui devasta le nord du pays, le comite
"Aznavour pour l’Armenie" pour collecter des fonds.

Il est ensuite nomme ambassadeur permanent en Armenie par l’Unesco.

–Boundary_(ID_pRlSSWnBIYFAv4lyccNZ/A)- –

ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER COMPLAINTS OF PASSIVITY OF ARMENIAN DELEGATES TO PACE

ARMINFO News Agency
October 2, 2006 Monday

Speaker of the Armenian Parliament, the head of the Armenian delegation
to PACE Tigran Torossyan complained of passivity of the delegates.

He says that the delegation should consist of MPs who really want and
can work at PACE on a permanent basis and push Armenia’s interest
there. They should take part not only in PACE plenary sessions but
also in the meetings of PACE committees. Torossyan complaints that
the present delegates are passive not only in Strasbourg but also
in Yerevan: only the leader of the National Unity opposition party
Artashes Geghamyan was present at the last Yerevan meeting of the
Armenian delegation with the PACE monitoring group in Armenia

Torossyan says that the Oct 2-6 PACE session will not discuss
problems directly concerning Armenia but all problems discussed
at PACE do concern Armenia as the country is full member of that
organization. Meanwhile, PACE committees will discuss 3 issues
directly concerning Armenia: the monitoring committee will consider
harmonization of the Armenian legislation with the constitutional
amendments, the committee on refugees will discuss draft report on
missing people and the political committee will discuss a pact on
stability in the South Caucasus.

FRENCH, ARMENIAN LEADERS ATTEND CONCERT IN CENTRAL YEREVAN

ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow,
30 Sep 06

French singer Charles Aznavour’s concert in Yerevan’s Republic Square
today opened the Year of Armenia in France and the Days of France
in Armenia.

ITAR-TASS news agency reported that the Armenian and French presidents,
Robert Kocharyan and Jacques Chirac, were present at the concert with
thousands of people in attendance.

The agency also reported that a total of 150 tons of musical equipment
had been delivered to Yerevan from Moscow for the concert.

FRENCH SOCIALISTS SHARE CHIRAC LINE ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Agence France Presse — English
October 1, 2006 Sunday

A leading French Socialist who hopes to run for the presidency said
Sunday his party shared President Jacques Chirac’s view that Turkey
should acknowledge genocide of the Armenians before it can join the
European Union.

Speaking during a visit to Yerevan, capital of Armenia, on Friday,
Chirac said Turkey ought to recognize the killing of hundreds of
thousands of Armenians during World War I as genocide if it wants to
join the EU.

"This is also the position of the Socialist Party," said former
finance minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a contender for selection as
the Socialist candidate for next year’s French presidential election.

Turkey strongly denies responsibility for genocide, arguing that
300,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in an internal
conflict sparked by attempts by Armenians to win independence in
eastern Anatolia.

"We have considered that acknowledgment … of the Armenian genocide
should be made a condition of Turkey’s entry into the EU," Strauss-Kahn
said on television.

"There are plenty of other conditions, but this one is symbolic,"
he stressed.

France, with 400,000 citizens of Armenian descent, officially
recognized the events as genocide in 2001, putting a strain on
relations with Turkey.

Previously, however, France had refused to make a direct link between
the genocide issue and Turkey’s EU membership bid. The bloc of 25
nations has not made it a condition.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ILHAM ALIYEV: PEACE WILL NOT BE REALIZED UNTIL ARMENIA IS PRESSURED

ARMINFO News Agency
October 2, 2006 Monday

-TURAN. The situation regarding settlement of the Karabakh conflict is
developing favorably for Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev said in parliament.

"We started an information attack, and now we must start an economic
attack, and then strengthen our military potential. In the future,
Azerbaijan’s military budget will be equal to the whole state budget
of Armenia. Until Armenia feels this pressure, peace will not come,"
Aliyev said.

Using its economic and military potential, Azerbaijan will liberate
its territories, Aliyev said, and noted that the strengthening of
military potential does not mean war. He stated that Azerbaijan’s
position will not change: the conflict can be settled only within the
framework of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, and Baku is ready
to give Nagorno Karabkah a high degree of autonomy.

Confirming Azerbaijan’s devotion to talks within the OSCE Minsk
Group’s framework, Aliyev noted the need to use the potential of
other international organizations.

FRANCE’S CHIRAC PAYS HOMAGE TO ARMENIAN "GENOCIDE" MEMORIAL

Agence France Presse — English
September 30, 2006 Saturday 7:45 AM GMT

French president Jacques Chirac attended a solemn ceremony at
Armenia’s monument to the 1915-1917 massacres of Armenians at the
hands of Ottoman Turks in a move likely to irritate neighboring Turkey.

Accompanied by his wife Bernadette, Chirac is on the first ever visit
of a French president to the impoverished Caucasus nation, which is
at odds with its Turkic neighbors Azerbaijan and Turkey.

Chirac placed flowers at the towering Tsitsernakaberd monument where
he was greeted by an honor guard playing mournful music before being
taken on a tour of a "Genocide Museum."

France, which has 400,000 citizens of Armenian descent, officially
recognized the World War I-era events as genocide in 2001, putting a
strain on its relations with European Union aspirant and fellow NATO
member Turkey.

Visiting dignitaries traditionally plant a fir tree at the memorial
grounds and Chirac paused near a pine planted by slain Lebanese Prime
Minister Rafiq Hariri, asking to be photographed before planting his
own sapling.

France became the first Western power to officially recognize the
massacres as genocide.

Many countries, including the United States and Israel, have so far
refused to label the massacres as genocide.

Armenians throughout the world have pushed for official recognition of
the killings, in which they say 1.5 million of their brethren perished,
as genocide.

But Ankara argues that 300,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks
died in an internal conflict sparked by attempts by Armenians to win
independence for eastern Anatolia and secure assistance for their
bid from Russia — Turkey’s age-old nemesis.

Armenia is also locked in a stalemate with Azerbaijan over the
ethnic-Armenian enclave of Nagorny Karabakh, which it gained control
of in an early 1990s war but which is still internationally recognized
as part of Azerbaijan.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH PEOPLE MADE THEIR CHOICE LONG AGO
Christine Mnatsakanian

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
Sept 29 2006

On September 26 Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian met with the
OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. We have learned from the department of
public relations of the Armenian foreign ministry that the current
state of negotiations was discussed in the context of the new
initiative of GUAM on the agenda of the UN General Assembly. And on
September 25 Vardan Oskanian made a speech in the 61st session of the
UN General Assembly. The foreign minister asserted the fact that the
only settlement of the Karabakh conflict is compromise and realism,
"Armenia expressed its standpoint clearly. We agreed to every basic
principle of the document on the table. In bringing into being this
or another document Azerbaijan cannot think or pretend that it still
has the military option. They tried out the military way and failed.

Compromise and realism are the only realistic variants," said
the minister, according to the department of public relations of
the foreign ministry. The minister described the present policy of
Azerbaijan to neglect whatever took place over the past 20 years as
unrealistic and dishonest. Vardan Oskanian thinks that nobody can
accuse us of our confidence that Azerbaijan is not ready or is not
interested in the talks. "By rejecting the former two proposals based
on compromise presented in the past 8 years, they are reluctant to
assume responsibility for having rejected the plan of establishing
peace, thereby using every means, including state violence and
international maneuvers to get the Armenians reject it," said the
minister. With regard to the settlement in the context of territorial
integrity or the right for self-determination, Vardan Oskanian says
Azerbaijan’s efforts to place territorial integrity above all the
other principles were promoted, especially in this hall. However,
he says, the right to self-determination was placed on an equal basis
with the other principles in the Helsinki final act. He thinks that
the Nagorno-Karabakh people made their choice. "They were victims of
state violence, defended themselves and succeeded despite all," said
Vardan Oskanian. He stated that the states must deserve their right to
rule. "Azerbaijan did not treat the people of Nagorno Karabakh with
responsibility or morally who were its citizens. In towns, far from
Nagorno Karabakh, they slaughtered, bombed and displaced 300 thousand
Armenians, and after the defeat they started sweeping all the traces of
Armenians, demolishing thousands of khachkars and gravestones," stated
the foreign minister at the session of the UN General Assembly. Vardan
Oskanyan said this means that the attitude of Azerbaijan to tolerance,
human values, culture, cooperation and even peace has not changed.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Montreal Gazette, Quebec
Oct 1 2006

The Armenian church of canada’s anniversary celebration of the
country’s independence was a fun-filled success, raising $200,000
for two children’s hospitals View Larger Image

Chair Sossi Manoukian (left), Miss Universe Canada 2006 Alice Panikian
and co-chair Marcelle Lavoie Meterissian at a gala organized by the
Armenian Church of Canada.

Photograph by : PHIL CARPENTER, THE GAZETTE

JENNIFER CAMPBELL, Freelance Published: Sunday, October 01, 2006

Mission love: One year ago, dynamic Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, primate
of the Armenian Church of Canada, envisioned a noble "mission of love":
The church would host a gala fundraiser titled Let There Be Light,
Let There Be Life, with a view to commemorating the 15th anniversary
of the independence of the Republic of Armenia while simultaneously
celebrating Canada and generating revenue for sick children.

How’d the love mission work out? Well, why don’t you be the judge?

Exhibit Food: Mounds of P.B. Banquet’s authentic Armenian appetizers
(including positively perfect Armenian mini-pizzas) flooded the food
front, followed by an impeccable filet mignon feast.

Exhibit Decor: Exquisitely appointed bronze table settings (think
lofty candelabras atop incandescent cloths) dotted the ballroom,
tailored to the Windsor’s Old World allure.

Exhibit Entertainment: There was puhlenty of E-stuff, including a luxe
silent auction; captivating video address (from such notables as PM
Stephen Harper and filmmaker Atom Egoyan); emcee-escapism, courtesy
of comic surgeon Sarkis Meterissian and young Charlot Daghlian;
plus non-stop dancing thanks to the Family Affair Orchestra and DJ
Hye Class.

Exhibit VIPs: Ahem, 300-plus were in the house, a la dedicated
chairesses Sossi Manoukian (with John Manoukian) and Marcelle Lavoie
Meterissian (with Sarkis Meterissian); Suzanne Tailleur Tremblay with
mega-mayor Gerald Tremblay; well-spoken special guest (and staggeringly
stunning man magnet) Miss Universe Canada 2006 Alice Panikian; elegant
Maroush and Power Trading power-VP Ara Soukiassian; Armine and Razmig
Margoosian; Nayira and Arman Agopian, charge d’affaires, Embassy of
the Republic of Armenia in Canada; Adrineh and lead sponsor, MJI power
pres Mardig Jorjezian; opposition party leader Noushig Eloyan; city
councillor Mary Deros; dashing Andy Habib with Chanel Canada’s Anny
Kazanjian (trendsational in a Chanel sheath and pearltastic vintage
choker); Lise and Daito Group chief Vartan Toroussian; Ardene stores’
toppest Arden Dervishian with glam wife Christine; Liberal leadership
candidate Stephane Dion (sporting a rather smart bow tie); Paula and
Armen Aprikian; and Hera and Ari Demirjian.

Exhibit $$: Close to $200,000 was raised for the Montreal Children’s
and Ste. Justine hospitals.

Now if your party verdict isn’t positive and you don’t think mission
love was a rousing success, I surrender!

Centaur triumvirate triumphs: After having perused the silent-auction
loot and consumed copious amounts of Bon Appetit appetizers, I do
admit to almost giving in to the call of the clicker and making a
pre-performance beeline for the door. But alas my columnist conscience
beckoned. And I’m so glad it did. The informal stage-chat that Centaur
artistic director Gordon McCall conducted with esteemed Canadian
playwrights David Fennario, Vittorio Rossi and Michel Tremblay was at
once informative, fascinating, entertaining and inspiring. Each of the
evening’s 3 Voices spontaneously revealed snippets from his respective
life that gave the audience keen insight into what motivates the craft
and makes a world-class playwright tick. For your Sunday enjoyment,
some snippets of snippets: Come hell or high water, Tremblay produces
first drafts in a prolific 11 days; one reason Rossi chose playwriting
over novels is adjectives aren’t his thing (Vittorio if you need a few,
I’m your girl); and Fennario elegantly clarified his natural affinity
for dialogue: "I’ve been listening to bulls–t stories my whole life!"

Not surprisingly, the audience ate it up. The event attracted 200
Centaur VIPs including Nancy and 3 Voices chairperson James Grant;
Viviane and senator Francis Fox; committee and board members Carolyn
Renaud (with Richard), Janet Black (with Hans) and Alison Silcoff
(with Joel); he-who-decorated-the reception-in-the-trendiest-way
designer Mitchell Davey (who, scoop, spent a remarkably parsimonious
$250); Gordon’s lovely wife Eloise McCall; Gretchen Evans; Darlene and
Ottawa-based philanthropist Dave Smith (who made one heckuva celebrity
auctioneer); Marika Teakle; Angela Chen and John, founder/owner of the
Montreal Retina Institute; Nina and Tom Harrington; Lilian Vineberg;
UTS Energy executive chairman Dennis Sharp; Claire Chaillez and
SNC-Lavalin executive VP Pierre Duhaime; and David Horlington. Yup,
the 3 Voices were heard (and loved!) helping to generate over $100,000
for one of Montreal’s most venerable cultural institutions. Encore!

A terrific TAKE: The recent TAKE fashion extravaganza at the Best
Western Hotel Europa was a lotus of a treat for all 270 present
as co-chairs Shivendra Dwivedi and Geeta Suchak immersed guests in
Bollywood beautiful. Lead sponsors included The Marcelle and Jean
Coutu Foundation, Stikeman Elliott, Scotia Bank and Saputo.

Our exotic journey began with an elaborate cocktail (dipped in Taj
Mahal-chic), where authentic Indian fare was washed down with a medley
of Smirnoff’s mango, guava and passion fruit martinis.

Caught thoroughly enjoying their first-class trip2India were
Pradeep with honorary chair Manishi Sagar (Kinderville Group CEO
and Canada’s 32nd most powerful woman); Mr. Schwartz’s himself,
Hy Diamond; Tatyana Reeve; honorary consul of the Republic of Yemen
Shirish Suchak with beautiful wife Vina; Carolina Richer Lafleche;
Amy Marleau (autumn-awesome in leggings and a tempting trench);
CJAD masters Stuart Nulman and Jill Fitzgerald; Naveen Tambhkoowala;
stylish city counsellor Catherine Sevigny; Binny and Ravi Mehra;
jazzy Jay Gould; Katie and Arun Mehra; Baton Rouge restauratrice
Chris Ann Nakis; Ravi Chhabra; and finance guru Ermes De Domenicis.

Next, patrons moved on to the fashion component of the evening,
choreographed by Suhaila Niazi Khan with makeup by Mindy Shear and
hair by Carte Blanche. (Exemplary emceeing was furnished by event
driving force, CJAD journalistic wonder Eramelinda Boquer). And that’s
where the TAKE came in, standing for The Alia Khan Experience – Khan
being one of the globe’s most successful Indo/Western designers, who
left us all more than a little awed by her exquisite and remarkably
wearable designs.

All of the above plus close to $20,000 for the Freedom from Poverty
Foundation (established in Montreal by professor T.D. Dwivedi and son
Shivendra) currently working to build a medical and education centre
in Uttar Pradesh, India.

Bollywood beautiful? U bet!

ARMENIAN PRESIDENT ROBERT KOCHARIAN’S SPEECH DURING FRENCH SQUARE OPENING CEREMONY

Noyan Tapan News Agency, Armenia
Sept 30 2006

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 30, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. The Armenian
President Robert Kocharian and the French President Jacques Chirac
made speeches during the ceremony of opening French Square in Yerevan
on September 30. Below is President Robert Kocharian’s speech with
some abridgement:

"Today is a symbolic day. The ceremony of opening French Square in
the heart of Yerevan is being held. All this is taking place at the
start of Year of Armenia in France, at the presence of President
Jacques Chirac and his spouse.

A thousand years have passed since the time when French princes came
for the first time to the land of Cilician Armenia where they were
received as friends and relatives and where they lived and struggled
side by side.

It was at that time that the friendship and relationship of our
peoples started. French kings encouraged scientific studies on
Armenia, collection of Armenian manuscripts and translations from
Armenian. Armenian merchants were given privileges in conducting their
trade between East and West. This friendship has never weakened in any
historical period, quite the opposite, it has deepened and acquired
a new meaning over centuries.

… Our friendship strengthened at the time of the great ordeal. The
best representatives of the French society founded the movement
"armenophile". Condemning the crime organized against the Armenians,
they sent humnitarian aid to those who survived the Genocide. French
warships reached the shores of Cilician Armenia and rescued thousands
of Armenians who has survived massacres.

Mister President,

You have mentioned on many occasions the great contribution of French
Armenians to the economy, science, culture and sports of France.

Enjoying full rights of a French citizen, the descendants of former
emigrants have remained true to their Armenian identity. Charles
Aznavour is a shining example of this. The fate of Aznavour, a son
of the Genocide survivors, is a response of the Armenian people
to genocides. In this respect we attach great importance to the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide by France in 2001. This is a
considerable contribution to the protection of violated rights of
the Armenian people and to the prevention of this threat to humanity.

Mister President,

After Armenia became independent, France was one of the first countries
to take the side of out young state and has been assisting with the
creation of our statehood and the development of Armenian economy,
culture and education.

France is a reliable partner in the European and international arena.

A useful and extensive dialog is going on in various directions
between our countries.

France’s assistance for Armenia to help it deepen the cooperation
with European structures deserves a special mention. I would like to
highlight the constructive role that France plays in the settlement
of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Mister President,

One can see Armenian memories – monuments, squares and streets with
Armenian names, Armenian houses and establishments – everywhere
in France. Over a hundred monuments to Armenians and the Armenian
Genocide have been erected in various places of France. They bear
evidence of respect and sympathy for the Armenian people, and we are
grateful to the French people for it…"

ARMENIE : JACQUES CHIRAC INAUGURE A EREVAN UNE "PLACE DE FRANCE"

Agence France Presse
30 septembre 2006 samedi

Le president francais Jacques Chirac a inaugure samedi une "Place de
France" dans le centre de la capitale armenienne Erevan en soulignant
"l’emotion" qu’il ressentait au cours de cette première visite d’Etat
d’un president francais.

M. Chirac accompagne de son epouse Bernadette et d’une importante
delegation francaise a inaugure cette elegante place circulaire bordee
d’arbres devant plusieurs milliers de personnes qui agitaient des
drapeaux armeniens et francais, a constate un journaliste de l’AFP.

Ancienne Place de l’Opera, elle abrite l’opera national d’Armenie et
la Philharmonie.

Evoquant sous les applaudissements cette "place de France que je
voudrais aussi place de la paix", Jacques Chirac a plaide pour que
"le temps de la paix" succède a celui de la dispute autour du Nagorny
Karabakh, une enclave habitee en majorite par des Armeniens et qui
a fait secession de l’Azerbaïdjan après un conflit meurtrier ayant
debute a la fin des annees 1980.

Un cessez-le-feu est intervenu en 1994 mais la situation reste tendue
en depit des efforts de mediation de l’Organisation pour la securite
et le cooperation en Europe (OSCE).

"Je veux croire que le temps de la paix est venu. Je veux le croire
parce que je connais le prix de la guerre", a-t-il declare.

Le chanteur francais d’origine armenienne Charles Aznavour, l’actrice
Line Renaud, la chanteuse Nana Mouskouri, et l’acteur Jean-Claude
Brialy, etaient egalement presents.

"C’est avec une emotion profonde que je decouvre la terre d’Armenie",
a lance Jacques Chirac qui a fait part egalement de son "emotion"
devant "l’histoire heroïque et tourmentee de ce peuple d’Armenie
issu de la plus haute antiquite". "Emotion quand je pense a tous
les survivants de cette tragedie qui durent prendre les chemins d’un
douloureux exil", a-t-il ajoute.

Son homologue armenien Robert Kotcharian a de son côte rappele
que "notre amitie a tenu l’examen du temps, a travers les moments
difficiles de l’Histoire", et il a qualifie la France de "partenaire
fiable sur les scènes internationale et europeenne".

Tandis que les hauts-parleurs diffusaient des chansons de Charles
Aznavour et d’Edith Piaf chantees par Mireille Mathieu, les deux
presidents ont ensuite pris un long bain de foule, suivis par leurs
epouses, puis par Charles Aznavour, ovationne dès son apparition sur
la place.

Arrive vendredi soir, le president francais Jacques Chirac venait de
rendre hommage aux victimes des massacres d’Armeniens de 1915-1917
en deposant une gerbe au pied du "Monument du genocide des Armeniens"
de la colline de Tsitsernakaberd a Erevan.

La France est devenue en 2001 le premier grand pays europeen a
qualifier de genocide le massacre, sans designer explicitement les
Turcs comme en etant les responsables.

Le groupe socialiste a l’Assemblee nationale francaise prevoit l’examen
le 12 octobre d’une proposition de loi faisant de la negation du
genocide un delit punissable d’un an d’emprisonnement et de 45.000
euros d’amende.

Ce texte divise les groupes politiques au-dela du clivage droite-gauche
et avait provoque la colère de la Turquie.

–Boundary_(ID_HZOVWXuWoApd5zVwyFBOIA)–